'Our guys are fantastic': Mulberry boys volleyball falls in district championship

The Mulberry boys volleyball team played its best game of the year at the Tampa Bay Heat in the FHSAA Class 1A District 12 championship game Thursday night.

Even though it was a 3-0 loss, the Panthers still made history. They are the first Polk County team to reach a district championship game, as this is just the second year that boys volleyball is sanctioned.

“We played a fantastic team. … They were really, really strong,” Mulberry coach Nick Brutus said. “We played a lot better than the first time we played them. We were sick the first time we played them. We got much better in the month. We played the best we’ve played. But that team is really just that good.”

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But there were some good spots for Mulberry. Outside hitter Mateus Cusmanich had some big blocks. Additionally, the back row played well, with Felipe Cusmanich leading the defense.

Still, it was too much Tampa — a team that had a 6-foot-11 freshman middle blocker in Steven Scott.

“They were just hitting on all cylinders. Realistically, every player they have is a club player,” Brutus said. “And our guys don’t play in club. Mulberry doesn’t really have the money to play in club.”

Even so, Mulberry (15-7) still has a chance to advance to regional action because the team beat George Jenkins (19-2) in the semifinals on Wednesday. That loss could drop George Jenkins considerably in the rankings because of a lower strength of schedule. Meanwhile, Mulberry played in some tougher games, so there is a chance it could still be playing.

“Everything about this season was good,” Brutus said. “Our guys are fantastic. Love playing the game. And it shows in the game. We played that tournament in Orlando because we knew we needed to play against bigger and stronger teams … We went three wins, two losses over there against good teams. This is without question the best group of guys I’ve coached, and the best group of players I’ve coached."

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: 'Our guys are fantastic': Mulberry boys volleyball falls in district championship